2018 WSOP Live Coverage on ESPN Will Include Main Event, Big One for One Drop

ESPN will continue its longstanding tradition of broadcasting the WSOP Main Event, which begins July 2.

ESPN will again televise the WSOP Main Event live, starting on Day One. (Image: denverpost.com)

The sports media giant will also televise, live, the $1 million buy-in Big One for One Drop charity event starting on July 16.

PokerGO, a subscription-based app, will livestream many WSOP events for the second straight year, including Main Event coverage when the ESPN cameras aren’t rolling.

The digital network owned by Poker Central hasn’t released its full schedule, but if the network’s plans are in tune with last year, many final tables will stream live throughout the series with announcers such as David Tuchman, Norman Chad, David Williams, and Lon McEachern handling the commentary duties.

Prior to 2017, WSOP.com streamed nearly every final table live, for free. Some poker fans were unhappy they had to pay to watch the series last year, and they will again this coming summer. But JR McCabe, the chief digital officer of Poker Central, said the 2017 WSOP was a rousing success for his company.

“Last year, both ESPN viewership and PokerGO subscription numbers were very strong throughout the WSOP Main Event,” he said in a press release.

Poker Central doesn’t publicly release exact subscription figures.

Main Event Coverage

ESPN and ESPN2 will broadcast the Main Event live starting on Day One for the second consecutive year, and the first two years the network has aired poker’s most prestigious tournament live prior to the final table.

Antonio Esfandiari won the inaugural Big One for One Drop in 2012 for what is still a record $18.3 million.

Dan Colman then took it down two years later for $15.3 million. This year’s winner could very well overtake Daniel Negreanu as the all-time winningest live tournament player unless, of course, Kid Poker scoops the bracelet.

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